Summarize

With two weeks to go before the Extreme Festival national championship motor racing roadshow hits Port Elizabeth for its fifth round at Aldo Scribante, not only do local race officials predict that the newly resurfaced racetrack will challenge teams and drivers alike like never before, but Nelson Mandela Bay race fans can also look forward to supporting their home heroes, many of whom will be challenging for top honours at the highest level.

“We do not want to let the cat out the bag, but rest assured that the newly resurfaced Aldo Scribante Racetrack is set to test every competitor like never before,” Algoa Motorsport Club’s Sparky Bright promised. “One thing is for sure, there is no more excessive tyre wear — the new topping has all but eliminated that old Aldo bugbear of new race tyres wearing out too quickly, which is great news to anyone who races here.

“But we are also seeing the new surface challenge competitors who have been out recently,” Bright added. “They complain that they are struggling to find pace and that it is a challenge to find the best racing set-up for their machinery and it seems that it is no longer as easy a task as it was when the old abrasive surface brought tyre temperatures up to racing levels in two corners. “It will be most interesting to see who can find that silver bullet soonest and use that to their advantage, come next Saturday…”

The fifth round of the Extreme Festival also gives Port Elizabeth race fans a chance to support their home heroes — starting with the premier Sasol GTC championship, where three of the five drivers who have won there this year are among the Bay’s top racers and teams. Local equipe Terry Moss Racing Engen Audi’s, Michael Stephen and Simon Moss are in a tight struggle with Jozi Sasol BMW star Gennaro Bonafede for overall honours, while young Daniel Rowe is another PE star racing at top level.

Of course Daniel races for another top local team, with Volkswagen Motorsport making the short trip down to Aldo Scribante from its Uitenhage race shop to run its four Sasol GTC and GTC2 machines. The Engen Polo Cup is another jewel in the Eastern Cape racing crown — all twenty cars that race there were built at Volkswagen Motorsport earlier this year and fans can expect a fantastic show to remember from that hard-fought class.

Other PE interest includes local lad Garth De Villiers making steady progress in the Investchem Formula 1600 championship aboard his Durrant Motorsport Racing Factors Mygale, while several local drivers will be in action in the visiting G&H Extreme Supercar races, where Celso Scribante and Nick Davidson’s ex-Production Car Audis, Ian Riddle’s BMW and Kevin Kelly’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo will take on a gang of upcountry Aston Martins, Ferraris, Porsches and more. There will also be two Red Square ZX10 Masters and Bridgestone Thunderbike motorcycle races at Aldo Scribante 14 July.

Access Aldo Scribante off Kyalami Road, Coega — that’s just off the N2 on the R335 — tickets are on sale at the gate at R80 per person with under-12s free, there is a food court and ‘watering holes’, a kiddies area and loads more fun for the whole family — find out more at www.amsc.co.za.